Customizable smart lamp wakes up users during light sleep phases

Work & Lifestyle

iwaku is a smartphone-connected lamp that eases sleepers into the morning by detecting light sleep phases.

Getting up in the morning isn’t easy – or helped by irritating beepers. We’ve already seen the Uniqlo Wake Up app tailor its alarm to the weather each day, and now the iwaku is a smartphone-connected lamp that eases sleepers into the morning by detecting light sleep phases.

Created in the Netherlands, the lamp is a sleek, ovoid device that links to users’ smartphones via a Bluetooth Low Energy connection. Through the companion app, sleepers can set the approximate time they want to be woken up, at which point the light will slowly begin to brighten up their room. The lamp is compatible with apps such as Sleep Time, which use the accelerometer in smartphones to detect sleep phases, adjusting the alarm time to ensure users wake up during a light sleep phase. The app can also be used to set music to accompany the light. The video below shows the light in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0QX52En3kE

The developers of the iwaku are currently funding their device through the Dutch website Crowd About Now, where it is available to pre-order for EUR 175. It is set to hit the European market later this fall at EUR 229.

The iwaku could be helpful for those who have to get up before the sun rises, as well as residents of built-up areas with poor access to light, helping improve their mood and wellbeing in the morning. Are there other ways to make getting out of bed more comfortable through personalization?